This is How I Pause: I connect with God when I crochet
Toni and Al have been married for 41 years, and together they have three grown daughters. Toni loves that they all live close by so that she can spend much time with them and especially her four precious grandchildren. Toni loves reading and studying God’s Word and is active in a Women’s Bible study and Women’s Ministry at her church in Florida, USA. Apart from crocheting, she also enjoys jewellery making.
THIS IS HOW I PAUSE: I CONNECT WITH GOD WHEN I CROCHET
I am a crocheter. I am not sure if that is a word, but I guess a better way to say it is, “I crochet”.
I grew up in Northern Illinois in a suburb of Chicago, where winters seem to last forever. As a child, my mother knitted the most beautiful things you could imagine. She made sweaters, coats, hats, and mittens – anything that could be knitted, she would make for my sister and me. She even made the buttons and knit sequins into sweaters that would sparkle and make the most basic design look incredible. She used the most beautiful yarns: angora, mohair, soft, fluffy yarns of all kinds.
She tried so hard to teach me to knit. I tried starting with just a simple square, but before I knew it, I had dropped stitches. She would come to the rescue and weave those lost stitches back in and make the square a square again. So many things I tried to make were supposed to be square but became triangles. Try as I might, I could never get the hang of knitting beyond making a square potholder.
Fast forward to many years later, when my mom was trying new techniques and edgings, she started crocheting. It took only one needle and went so much faster than knitting, and I decided this was definitely for me. So began my love of crochet.
Over the years, I have crocheted everything from blankets to jewellery. When I became a Christian, I wanted the work of my hands to glorify God. One of the projects the Holy Spirit led me to was making prayer shawls. It brought me to Scripture and time spent praying for the persons who would receive the shawls. It also brought me to a group of individuals in my church who wanted to join me in making these for people in need. I think of each prayer shawl as a hug from God. “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you will find refuge.” (Psalm 91:4) The shawls can cover others in many ways:
A shawl for prayer.
- “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed, the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
- “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
A shawl for worship.
- “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24
A shawl to comfort.
- “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
A shawl to encourage.
- “Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
The card that is given with the prayer shawl says:
This prayer shawl was crocheted with many prayers woven into the stitches and is intended to be a reminder of God’s ever-present love, which is as near to you as your own body is to your spirit.
Wear it in times of private prayer. Let it rest on your shoulders as you work or play or read or rest. Wear it to worship. Wear it whenever you are drawn to prayer or have no interest in prayer but would like to be reminded of God’s loving presence and care.
May you grow in your awareness of God’s blessing resting upon you in all places and at all times, enabling you to be God’s person in the world.
May this shawl be for you a sign of God’s loving, healing presence. May it warm you when you are weary; may it surround you with encouragement when you are discouraged. May it assure you of His care and comfort when your loved ones and you are in pain. May it remind you that God loves you so very, very much. And that the prayers of others surround you.
You may want to use all or part of it.
I also include laundry instructions that are usually given on the yarn package you use. And guess what? The pattern I will be sharing with you is a triangle, and it is supposed to be a triangle. Praise God!!!!!
